Rider vs Mark
by surf all day and do the hula
Summary: Alex Rider has been sent on a mission he has no interest in, yet again, by MI6. Alex soon finds himself in a competition to save the day against another teenage spy, working for ASIS. The two go head to head in something that turns more personal than work
1. A Job Well Done

**Hello all! **

**This is my first Alex Rider story, and hopefully, if your lucky and I don't stumble across any writers block I'll be able to continue with it. I'll probably end up changing the name, because I'm not happy with it.**

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It was exactly four minutes to one, and if everything went to plan it would all be over in less than twenty minutes. Gunner, as he was known, sipped at his tall, black espresso wishing for something other than Starbucks. His apprentice, a black haired boy of seventeen had chosen it, mainly because he liked the white chocolate mochas served, and because it was such a crowded place.

Two minutes to one, everything would fall into place; Gunner and Anthony wouldn't have to worry about much else. Anthony was Gunner's nephew, and had lived with him since he was kicked out of school when he was fourteen. His father, the head of a big architecture company had expected more from his son and didn't attempt to hide his disappointment.

It was when Anthony was on the verge of expulsion from his second school that Gunner had stepped in and suggested Anthony become his apprentice. To everyone else who knew them, Gunner was a builder who worked in Sydney, far away from the family in Brisbane, and so Anthony flew to Sydney expecting to cart around bricks and mix concrete all day.

On his first day on the job, he was taken right into the heart of Sydney and into a cushy office near Darling Harbour. From the window, Anthony could see the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the thousands of tourists milling around on the Quay. Then it had suddenly occurred to Anthony that he wasn't a builder's apprentice.

Gunner was a contract killer. It was unusual for an assassin to take an apprentice, but he had felt sorry for his nephew, and from his record he would adapt rather quickly to his new life. And he had been right, Anthony had learnt quickly and soon enough would be able to work on his own.

It was one o'clock, and the person they were meeting should walk through the doors at any moment. A young woman walked in, fashionably dressed with a _Vogue_ magazine under one arm, ordered a coffee and sat down at the table behind them waiting for her drink. Anthony watched her as she absorbed herself in an article about Australian designers. He wondered how people could become so obsessed with themselves, and it was obvious by the perfect hair, make up and designer clothes that she loved herself.

A man about fifty walked in, he was bald and dressed as a tradesmen, which normally in this area would have stood out, except there were men working on the road just outside. He didn't order anything, he just sat down at Gunner and Anthony's table, and the woman looked up and wrinkled her nose at the sight of them. She got up and collected her coffee, before sitting back down at her table absorbed with her magazine.

'O'Neil's back in the country,' the bald man said.

'So I heard,' Gunner replied.

Anthony remained silent as the two men casually talked about mutual acquaintances. He continued watching the woman as she took out a diary and began writing notes in it. _Probably when the next Gucci bag comes out,_ Anthony thought. His mother had been like her, self absorbed only interested in him when he was dragged home by the police late at night drunk, or when the school rang up to complain about his latest antic.

'So hows old Mick here treating you?' the bald man asked him.

Anthony's eyes shot up at the use of Gunner's real name, Mick, or Michael. He shrugged it off, 'it's alright, I reckon I'm almost as good as him.'

The two older men laughed.

'Well it was good seeing you again,' Gunner said getting out of his seat, Anthony following suit.

'You too old friend,' the bald man said shaking hands.

They walked outside and crossed the road before the woman got up. She exited through the other door and waited at a traffic light, with a clear view of the three men who were now across the street. They were walking down a driveway into an underground car park, and the woman entered the building next door, and taking the lift down to the car park. The door sprung open and directly in front of her, with his back turned was Gunner, her nose wrinkled a second time as all three men were smoking. She nodded at the bald man who betrayed no sign that he had seen anyone, she pulled a handgun out of her bag and Anthony saw her out of the corner of his eye he shouted just as she pulled the trigger on his uncle.

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**So how was it? **

**Review and I'll send you one of my brilliant chocolate muffins I made earlier.**

**surf all day and do the hula**

**- peace xo**


	2. The Perfect Student

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'Felicity if you're late for class one more time I'll have to give you a detention,' Mrs Perrier threatened. Unfortunately for Mrs Perrier she was one of those old ladies who was full of empty threats and in some cases, gas, which led the students to have no respect towards her.

She sat down and took out her books, looking over at Jason Miles who was seated next to her in the seating plan.

'Page 156,' he said, not bothering to whisper, as Mrs Perrier droned on about working out the volume of unusual shapes.

Flick opened her book to a blank page and wrote in her neat handwriting:

_Laura,_

_Can't go to Westfield this arvo, going to the city with my sister, you can come if you like._

_Love Flick._

She rolled it into a ball and glanced up; Mrs Perrier was attempting to draw a circle on the whiteboard. Flick pushed her fringe out of her eyes and looked over to where Laura King was sitting, in between Jess Little and Aaron Kraft. It was the row in front of her and Jason.

'Oi! Laura,' Flick said keeping her voice down.

Laura turned around, her long black hair knocking Aaron in the face, 'sorry! Yeah?'

Flick threw the scrunched up paper at her friend.

'Oh yeah, really subtle,' Jason said punching a few numbers into his calculator. Flick looked at him, he was what in America they would classify as a jock, one of the star rugby players for St Michael's and not the brightest kid in the class.

She rolled her eyes, 'oh and you could do better?'

'Well I'd send a text message, that way I wouldn't get caught throwing paper around the room,' Jason replied.

'Yeah, last time you did that you had your phone confiscated,' Flick shot back. 'You always forget to put your phone on silent.'

'And you Felicity, always forget to put your voice on silent,' Mrs Perrier said, earning a few laughs from the class.

Flick laughed and smiled sweetly, 'Mrs Perrier, I was just asking Jason to stop distracting me!'

Mrs Perrier shook her head, her grey bowl-cut wig shifting from side to side and pushed her large Harry Potter inspired glasses further up her nose. 'Felicity, you were just called to the office.'

'Oh! Right!' Flick said getting up and gathering her books together. 'Well I'll just be going then.'

She looked over at Laura who shook her head and mouthed 'can't go.' Flick shrugged as she patted Mrs Perrier on the head; she was about half a metre taller than her.

'Don't forget your glasses next lesson,' Mrs Perrier reminded her.

Flick had astigmatism, and often forgot her glasses, having to rely on whoever she was sitting beside to find out what was on the board.

'Course not Miss,' she said flouncing out of the classroom.

When she was in the corridor she slowed right down and began taking baby steps towards the office. She couldn't think of why she would be called to the office, she hadn't done anything that should warrant a trip there, unless she had been spotted in the city last Thursday afternoon when she had signed out early saying she had a doctors appointment.

Flick cut through the door that led from the new building into the office, technically only teachers were allowed to use it, but she didn't think it would matter; after all, they probably wanted her to reach the office as quickly as possible.

The office was new, brightly lit with two pot plants and a few chairs scattered around the room. Flick looked in the sick bay, out of habit, she saw Laura's older sister Michelle lying on a bed sending a text message, looking over at the next bed she saw Dean, Michelle's boyfriend read a text message and reply seconds later.

Flick shook her head and walked over to the desk, 'hi I'm Felicity Mark. I was called up her before?'

'Ah yes,' the large receptionist, Julie, replied. 'Your aunt is here to pick you up, he said it was a family matter, he's signed you out and waiting at the gate. You've just got to grab your bag.'

Flick looked puzzled, she didn't have any aunt's living anywhere near here, she had two, one was lived in Queensland and the other lived at the Sunny Coast. 'Oh really? Alright then, thanks.'

She walked quickly to her locker in the Performing Arts building, where her Home Room was. It wouldn't be Auntie Mel, who lived in Queensland, she was far to busy with her cousins who were between the ages of two and seven, and surely Auntie Jo from the Sunny Coast wouldn't abandon her marijuana crop to come visit?

Flick grabbed her bag and headed towards the front gate, which was on the other side of the school. She pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket and tried calling her older sister, Lydia, she would know what was going on, she knew _everything_.

'Come on, pick up,' Flick said as she walked through the quiet grounds quickly. The phone rang out and went straight to Lydia's voicemail. 'Dammit.'

When Flick reached the gates there was no one about, no Auntie Mel or Jo could be seen. There was a black Jeep parked in the bus stop, the engine running, it looked like it was waiting for someone. Maybe Jo had bought a new car.

'Hey!' Flick rapped on the window. 'Auntie Jo? Or Mel?'

The window wound down, and Flick didn't recognise the person behind the wheel. She was middle aged, dressed smartly in a grey suit, with curly red hair pulled up in a neat bun, she had a hands free ear piece in her right ear.

'Sorry, I thought you were my aunt,' Flick said beginning to leave.

'It's OK, I had to tell the office I was, otherwise they wouldn't let me pick you up,' she said. 'Get in the car.'

'I'm sorry, I don't know you, I'm not getting in the car,' Flick replied, she had been drilled all her life about getting into cars with strangers, and she wouldn't stupidly forget that rule now.

'Look, I work with your sister, my name is Liz Wilson,' she said. She opened the glove compartment above the passenger seat and pulled out a photograph. 'Here, it's Lydia and myself at the last work Christmas party.'

Flick took the picture, she remembered the dress, Lydia and her had spent two days hunting for the perfect little black dress for the Christmas party, they eventually found the perfect dress from Witchery and the silly Christmas tree earrings from Myer.

'Alright,' Flick said opening the passenger door and throwing her bag onto the back seat and sitting down. 'So what's up?'

Liz wound up the window and began driving, 'I'm not going to beat around the bush, your sister Lydia is missing.'

Flick looked at Liz with disbelief, 'don't be ridiculous, I talked to her on the phone the other night.'

'Lydia's been missing for three days now,' Liz said seriously, not taking her eyes off the road. 'Now you're going to answer me truthfully, did Lydia ever tell you what she did for a living?'

'Yeah, she's the beauty editor for _Cleo_,' Flick said. 'What has that got to do with anything? Where is she?'

'Lydia isn't a beauty editor for _Cleo_, we only said that because she has the same name as the actual editor,' Liz replied.

Flick looked at Liz as if she was a madwoman. They were now in the heart of Sydney's CBD, Liz turned the Jeep into an underground car park. The building was tall, with a large sign for the ANZ bank at the top of the building.

'Where are we?' Flick asked as they got out of the car.

Liz didn't reply as they walked into the waiting lift, she pulled out an ID and swiped it. The lift doors closed and began to move upwards without any buttons being pressed.

'Where are we?' Flick repeated.

Once again Liz didn't reply, the lift doors sprung open as they reached the fifteenth floor. They walked out into the foyer; it was an average looking, with a brown, black and cream colour scheme. There were a few pictures around the room would have confused people, like Flick, who didn't know what they were in for. Half of them were photographs off catwalks, modelling throughout the years, and the other half were of F/A-18s, tanks, and Navy ships.

'This floor is rented by both _Cleo_ magazine and the Defence Force Recruiting. It's just extra office space,' Liz said walking over to a door, requiring her ID to be swiped once more. 'You probably noticed the clashing photographs around the reception.'

'What's going on? Where's my sister?' Flick demanded. She crossed her arms and refused to move, she was the youngest of three girls, with two step-brothers, she knew how to get her own way.

'Listen, I can't tell you out here as it's still being looked into,' Liz said in hushed voice. 'It's classified information, now if you'll follow me into my office.'

Liz held the door open and Flick looked down the corridor, the walls where the same cream colour as the reception, with the air of an overly sanitised area, much like that of a hospital. At that same moment two women came out of the door on the other side of the reception, they were both dressed in fashionable clothing, and both were laughing and chatting eagerly. Flick heard a brief part of Avril Lavigne's song 'Girlfriend' playing before the door slid shut, and she wished she was walking into the _Cleo_ office.

Flick followed Liz down the corridor, until she came to the second room on the end, Flick stepped in and Liz shut the door behind her and took a seat behind the desk.

'Now, you're probably wondering why Lydia would tell you she worked for _Cleo_ then, aren't you?' Liz asked.

'No, I'm wondering who the hell you are and how I could be so stupid to follow you here,' Flick replied not taking her eyes off Liz.

'Alright, I understand that you're confused, so I'm going to tell you straight off,' Liz said smoothing the papers on her desk out. 'Lydia isn't a beauty editor for _Cleo_, she is an Operations Officer for ASIS, and so is your father, that's why he's over in Hong Kong right now.'

Flick didn't know what to say, it made sense, she lived with her father and sisters in Sydney, and both often disappeared overseas, returning with various injuries, which Flick knew wasn't normal for a beauty editor. Her father she could understand, she had been under the impression that he was in the AFP, the Australian Federal Police, so a spy or 'Operations Officer' wasn't that far from the mark.

'Well, I believe you about my dad, but Lydia?' Flick said slightly confused. 'She's not really the type for all that 'spy' stuff, I wouldn't be surprised about Marissa though, she's in the Air Force, but you probably know that right?'

Liz looked at Flick, studying her, her grey eyes staring deep into Flick's green one's, as if searching her soul. It made Flick squirm in her seat.

'You're taking this rather well,' Liz said, in the same calmed tone she had maintained since she had picked up Flick.

'Well,' Flick began taking a deep breath. 'It wouldn't be smart to be running around screaming and denying things now would it?'

Liz smiled, 'Good, just like your dad and sister.'

Flick looked around the office and twiddled her fingers, 'so where is she? Lydia?'

Liz took a breath, 'that's what we need to find out, and that's why we need you.'

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**So, how is it? **

**You'll have to review to tell me!**

** 33**


	3. Mark Meet Rider

**sup g-unit**

**anywhoo i know its been about roughly forever since i last updated and i dont know why i havent because i dropped out of school and have way to much time on my hands now. its rather sad. anyway how awesome was Snakehead? hahha all you Americans and Brits have only had it for about 3 days, and i've had it for about a month.**

**YEAHHHHH jealous? i dont know why it came out a month before in Aus but it did and thats just plain awesome.**

**So just a note that this is set about a year after Snakehead.**

**enjoy!**

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Flick couldn't believe her ears. She had just found out that her father and sister worked for ASIS, and now, she was being told that she would have to work for them too.

'I'm too young, it's too dangerous! I have school!' Flick said quickly. 'As fun as it sounds I'm sure there are laws against kids working for Intelligence!'

'You'll be fine, you have most of the required skills anyway,' Liz told her. Flick glared at Liz for making excuses and wished her red hair would catch on fire. 'Anyway, the British have a teenage spy, so why shouldn't we? I expect the American's to have one soon, and the French would never let the UK have something they don't have.'

Flick looked at her with her mouth open; she had no idea what to say. 'But, I don't know the first thing about spying.'

Liz looked at Flick over her laptop which she had just opened up, 'That's why we're pairing you up with Alex Rider, he's been doing this for about a year now, and the British have been after this man for sometime now.'

'Which man?' Flick asked.

Liz turned her laptop around and the image of a bald man; he had a large beaky nose and dark eyebrows. Flick recognized him from _60 Minutes_; his name was John Mitchell and was wanted all over the world for fraud, scamming money and the occasionally link to a murder.

'John Mitchell? He was on _60 Minutes_,' Flick replied. 'What has he got to do with Lydia?'

'About a month ago we made a deal with him, we'd let him off his charges if he helped us bring in this man,' Liz said bringing up another picture on the screen, a tough looking man with a beard and a few tattoos hinting around his neck. 'His name is Michael Drew, known as 'Gunner', he's a contract killer, very dangerous, and has links to terrorist organizations all around the world.

'Lydia was the agent working with him to bring in Gunner, but something went wrong. We know that there were four of them in the car park, Lydia, Mitchell, Gunner and his nephew Anthony. We've come into contact with Anthony's parents, and they're under the impression that Anthony is Gunner's apprentice builder.'

Liz brought up a picture of Anthony on the screen, it was his school photo, he had curly black hair and blue eyes that could make any girls melt, although Flick kept this thought to herself.

'Anthony's had some trouble with the law over the years, he's been kicked out of two of Brisbane's best boy's schools, and his parents couldn't have been happier to have him out of the house,' Liz said grimly. 'Although I think they'd rather have him around the house than in the mess he's in now.'

Flick took all of this in; there was a con artist, a contract killer, his apprentice, and her missing sister. Her heart sunk, things couldn't be good for her sister if she was supposed to have brought in this Gunner character. She thought about her Mum, Helen, if only she knew what was happening to her favourite daughter she would faint.

Ever since her parents got divorced when she was six years old, her mum and dad both agreed that family was still one of the most important things in life. They had encouraged this; the girls would spend equal time with their parents, and even when Helen decided to move back to Longreach and her family there, they both agreed that the girls would stay in Sydney with their dad, Jacob, to finish school, and come to Longreach in the holidays.

Helen was getting married now, her fiancé, Harry Truesdale, had two sons, one of them Flick's age, and the other two years younger, and Helen, Harry and Jacob that the Mark girls and Truesdale boys would be real brothers and sisters, and have a close relationship. For Felicity Mark, family was one of the most important things.

'So what do I have to do?' Flick asked.

Liz smiled, she knew that the Mark family had a strong bond, and wouldn't be surprised if Jacob got involved. 'We haven't fully trusted Mitchell, even if he agreed to the deal, to help bring in Gunner, so we've had a few agents follow him around and find out what he's up to. Even if he hasn't got anything to do with Lydia's disappearance, he might have a few clues.

'From what we've learnt, we know that he's got a brother in Melbourne, and we know that he's booked a flight to Melbourne for Monday. His brother, George Mitchell, is an architect, and he has two children, a boy and a girl, fifteen and twins.'

Flick looked confused, she understood where this was going, but didn't know how to pull it off, 'but surely he'd recognise his own niece?'

Liz shook her head, 'George and John haven't been in contact for years.'

'Then how do you know they're going to meet up? You don't know that he's just going to Melbourne to go and trick some poor old woman out of a million dollars?' Flick asked.

'You don't miss a thing do you? We've been talking to George, and he's said that the two are trying to get into contact again, a bit of family bonding,' Liz cracked a smile. 'Lydia's been rubbing off on him.'

Flick smiled weakly, 'alright. So who's this Alex Rider you mentioned?'

Liz got up and opened the door, a boy, Flick's age, walked in. He was tall, with sandy blond hair that was due for a cut, and blue eyes that looked older than his age, as if he had seen many things that were not meant for some one that young. He had a look on his face that seemed to be a mixture of sadness, resentment and even a trace of boredom. Flick began to doubt her choice in action to save her sister, after all, if her father worked with ASIS then why couldn't he save her?

'Felicity Mark, meet Alex Rider,' Liz said smiling. Flick looked at Liz and decided that her lipstick was too bright, and clashed with her hair and eye shadow.

Alex didn't say anything; he just nodded in Flick's general direction before Liz started speaking again.

'Alex works for MI6, he's done several cases and is one of their best agents,' Liz said boasting for Alex who was rolling his eyes behind Liz. 'John Mitchell has been suspected to be behind a number of terror threats in the UK, and after we sent a selected amount of information to MI6, they decided to send in Alex, as we were sending in you.'

Flick pulled her attention away from the window that didn't show views of the harbour, but of a large grey building, half of which was a shopping centre. 'Wait, you planned to send me in anyway?'

Liz looked startled, and stammered, 'well… Felicity, you have to understand, you were the perfect person to send, a fifteen year old girl, the same age as Mitchell's niece. Alex was just an added bonus.'

Flick looked at Alex who was glaring at the back of Liz's head. _Her hair isn't going to catch fire buddy, as red as it is_.

'Look, just give me the stuff I need and let's get this over with,' Flick said getting up, hoping she made it clear that it was her intention to leave straight away.

'Alright then,' Liz said moving to her filing cabinet and pulled out two files, a pink one which she handed to Flick, and a blue one to Alex. Liz didn't notice the looks on the two teenager's faces and moved on. 'Now, Alex has already been to the suite in the Holiday Inn, he stayed there last night and knows how to get there. I'd drive you over but it's only two blocks away and I have work to do. I'll send someone over to check on you tomorrow.'

Flick looked at Alex who seemed annoyed that he had been brought all this way for nothing, and then back to Liz, 'why do I have to go to a hotel? I only live a couple of suburbs away.'

'Yes, but with everything that's happened it's safer if we keep you close,' Liz said seriously. 'Some clothes have been brought over for you.'

Liz sat back down at her desk and started typing. Flick grabbed her school bag off the floor and took it as her cue to leave. Normally she found it easy to read people, but for some reason Liz Wilson was as blank as the walls in the computer rooms at school.

'So, you're a spy,' Flick said as the two stood in the lift, trying to make contact with the quiet boy.

Alex looked at her, 'yeah.'

They stood in silence as the lift stopped at the seventh level but no one got on.

'Are they always that conniving? Tricking kids into working for them? Surely that's illegal right?' Flick asked.

'Yeah,' Alex replied. 'But it's not as if they care about us, as long as we get the job done.'

'Huh,' Flick said trying to think of something else to say. She adjusted her school skirt and pulled her jumper down a bit. Her stomach growled and Alex looked at her. 'I haven't eaten today. Do you wanna get some lunch before we head to the hotel? There's a Maccas just down the road…'

'Yeah I'm starving,' it was the most normal thing she had heard him say so far.

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**I'll try and update as soon as possible, the next chapter is half written so its all good.**

**Review!**


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